The move, a u-turn on the Tory election manifesto pledge, is seen as trying to win over the under-40s and appear to make the Tories more “caring”.

Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show to be shown today (Sun), whether she supported the blood sport, she said: “I‘ve not changed my view on that.

“But if look back at what the messages we got from the election, one of the clear messages we got was there were a number of areas in which people were concerned about what we were proposing.

“So just as we’ve looked at issues on school funding, on tuition fees, on housing, and we’re taking forward approaches in relation to that, on this issue of fox-hunting, what I can say is there won’t be a vote during this parliament.”